Chapter 100?! I can't believe I've made it this far! I've never written anything this long before and I just wanted to say an enormous thank you to everyone that's supporting this story and showing their love for it.

I can't even explain how much it means to me. I hope you enjoy xx

"What the fuck do we do?" Rhiannon whispered frantically, her heart racing so hard she worried The Hunters would be able to hear it, leading them right to her.

"We gotta get away from these windows."

The Hunters had split up, two of them making their way through the other stores on the street thoroughly as the other two finished parading their 'trophies'. They knew it was only a matter of time before they made their way to the record store and found them.

Merle grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the windows and into the staff room in the back. He ran into the manager's office, his hand raised for any potential walkers that made themselves known, but thankfully, there were none.

The living were the only ones posing a threat to them.

"Hey," Rhiannon called out softly, holding up a ring of keys with a hopeful smile.

Merle let out a breath of relief and grabbed the keys eagerly, shoving her into the office behind him and locking the door from the inside. Once the door was closed, he let out a long breath, resting his head against the door. He didn't want to admit how scared he was, how much this group actually terrified him.

He certainly didn't want Rhiannon to see his fear.

"We'll stay here until they leave."

"That could be hours. It'll be dark soon, we're gonna be screwed."

"You wanna deal with the alternative?" He hissed angrily back at her.

"We need to get out of here."

"Yeah, no shit."

"No, we need to follow them. This is the opportunity we've been waiting for for months. This is the only lead we have, we need to follow them."

Merle looked back at her incredulously and shook his head. "You call being hunted an opportunity?"

"Merle, they're right there. This is the closest any of us have gotten. We need to take advantage of it."

"You're fucking crazy if you think-" He stopped short, the both of them sharing looks of fear as they heard the bell on the front door of the shop chime.

They both went rigid and looked towards the locked office door slowly. Rhiannon held her weapon tighter, preparing for the worst.

They listened intently, holding their breaths as they heard a pair of slow footsteps make their way around the store. When they got to the back room, they both tensed, posing towards the door, readying themselves for the possible fight.

Rhiannon's breathing hitched when the door knob to the office jiggled and turned.

"Hey, you see any keys 'round?" The voice behind the door said quietly.

"Nah, can you break it down?"

Rhiannon and Merle shared a brief look of fear, their shoulder's straightening as they prepared for the worst. She flinched as loud kicks were heard against the door. Her eyes squeezed shut, her thoughts easily moving to Daryl.

He had no idea where they were, that they were in danger. He would be devastated when he got back to Alexandria, if he wasn't back already, and found both his brother and his wife gone. She loathed to think of how he would react when he heard of their demise.

Before her dark thoughts could continue, the kicks stopped, making her slowly open her eyes, one eye at a time.

"Won't open."

"Doesn't matter. There's no one here anyways."

"What about that car?"

"It's probably been there a while. There's nothing to find here, let's just go."

"Fine. But you're tellin' the boss man that we didn't find shit. I'm already on his shit list, I don't want another strike on me."

"You're such a pussy."

They listened intently as the men took their exit, the both of them letting out long sighs of relief that their cover wasn't blown.

"Now what?" Rhiannon whispered. Merle shifted on his face, his face drawn tightly with contemplation as he refused to meet her eyes. But at this point in their relationship, she was beginning to read him pretty well. "You wanna follow them, don't you?"

"Fuck." He hissed, shaking his head, at himself or at her, she didn't quite know. "It's the only lead we have." He finally said with a slight shrug.

Rhiannon smiled lightly and nodded to the door. "Let's go."

"If Daryl finds out he's gonna kill us."

"Not if we have information about The Hunters."

"You really ain't got a clue 'bout your husband. We could come back with their heads on a stick and he'd still be pissed."

Rhiannon opened her mouth, but stopped herself. He wasn't exactly wrong. "Come on." Was all she said, unlocking the door as quietly as possible. They stepped out carefully, slowly making their way to the front of the store.

"They're packin' up."

"How do we get to the car?"

"We'll wait till they leave. We gotta be far behind 'em anyways."

The few minutes it took for The Hunters to pack themselves back into their car and leave were agonizing. But, as soon as they heard their engine start, they both perked up. They watched as their truck turned off main street and the second their brake lights were out of view, they sprinted out of the store.

Rhiannon got into the driver's seat, waiting for Merle who was smashing the front headlights so as not to give themselves away as they trailed their enemy. As soon as Merle got into the passenger seat, she was off, turning down the same street they'd seen them leave on.

Merle immediately got the map out of the glove box, marking the street they turned on, highlighting their entire journey to show the others back home.

She tried to ignore how her hands shook on the steering wheel. She tried to pretend she wasn't completely terrified of this group and what would happen to them if they got caught.

After a few silent minutes of driving and no sign of the truck, she sighed, her shoulders slumping.

"I think we lost them."

"No, we're good." Merle assured her. "There's no side streets. They had to have gone straight. They didn't have the kind of truck for off-roading. We still got 'em."

Rhiannon nodded, blowing out a long breath, her fingers tapping a nervous rhythm on the wheel.

"Hey, if you don't wanna do this, we can turn back."

She looked at Merle, noting there was no malice, no hint of teasing in his expression. She got the feeling turning back wouldn't just be for her.

"No, I'm good. We need to do this." She told him sternly, hoping he wouldn't notice how she was faking every ounce of courage in her voice.

They soon continued on in silence again.

It was only a few minutes later that they saw the red glow of brake lights. They'd successfully caught up to The Hunters and their nerves were immediately on edge again.

"Fuck, hold back."

Rhiannon slowed the car to a crawl and watched their movements with scrutiny. "They're turning."

They watched as their truck turned down a nondescript dirt road that was almost hidden by the overgrowth of wildlife.

"We got 'em." Merle said with a triumphant smile. "Alright, we'll get home, show 'em the route, and we'll take these bastards out."

"We did it." Rhiannon mused in disbelief. "Rick's gonna go crazy."

"Officer Friendly's gonna be doin' us favours for the rest of our damn lives."

Their joy was cut short as the truck pulled out and began down the road again. They tensed, their faces creasing with confusion.

"What the hell?"

Rhiannon slowly took her foot off the brakes, beginning to follow them once again. "Are they making another stop?"

Merle didn't answer, his shadowed expression staring out the window in contemplation. They were both more tense than before as they followed behind the truck. They eagerly looked through the trees as they passed by the first turn off they'd seen them use. Both of their expressions twisted with further confusion as they saw a cabin in the distance, the only sign of life being smoke billowing from the chimney.

They were about half an hour out by now and their nerves were rising with each passing minute they followed behind The Hunters. They were going further than they had expected.

Merle continued to make his markings on the map, but the farther they got from Alexandria, the more unsettled they became.

"We still good on gas?" Merle's question broke the prolonged silence, almost startling her.

"For now. We can't go too much further if we wanna make it home."

It was only a few minutes later that the truck slowed to a stop again and pulled into another dirt road. They waited for what felt like forever, making sure the shine of the lights were gone before following.

The dirt road was short and as they approached the top of a steep hill, their hearts dropped as they saw the glow of lights. The car crept to a stop, making sure they wouldn't be seen. Another cabin lay at the bottom of the hill, this one much bigger than the first.

They watched as the truck turned off and the remaining three men exited the truck, making their way into the cabin. That meant the first location was only for one of them. It didn't make sense to her, except for the obviously glaring fact that they had so many people in their group, they needed multiple locations.

"Fuck." Merle breathed out in defeat. "There's no cellar."

"What?"

"Julia, she told us she was kept in a cellar beside the cabin. There's none here."

"So this isn't even their main location."

There was a huge possibility that they were enormously outnumbered and outgunned.

"Let's go back." Merle said, his voice more downtrodden than she had ever heard before. But she was not disagreeing in the slightest. She quickly put the car in reverse, wanting nothing more than to be far away from those people.

They drove home in silence, the air around them stifling. The knowledge they'd discovered did little to appease their worries. If anything, it just made them more terrified for the coming fight. Knowing what these people were capable of was one thing, but knowing what resources they had, the smooth running operation that was much bigger than they ever could have fathomed, was so much worse.

"I'm sorry." She finally blurted out. "This was stupid, I never should've come out here or dragged you along with me."

Merle just scoffed. "C'mon, Bambi, there was no stoppin' you on this one. You wanted to do somethin' for your husband. No one's gonna fault you for that."

"But we-"

"Are fine." He stressed. "We're still kickin', we got more info 'bout those assholes, and you got your records. I'd say it was a pretty damn successful trip."

Rhiannon smiled lightly. "Thank you… brother." She chided, giggling slightly at the roll of Merle's eyes that followed.

"Just drive."

The information they got weighed heavily on them as they drove back to Alexandria. They dreaded telling Rick what they found. People were already terrified and their news would only throw gasoline on an already lit fire.

They were only ten minutes from home when headlights coming their way blinded them. Rhiannon slowed the car, already reaching behind her to grab her sword when the car in front of them stopped abruptly.

They both remained tense, readying themselves to fight, when she saw Daryl tear out of the passenger seat and run towards their car eagerly.

Rhiannon let out a shaking breath and with trembling hands, she put the car in park and threw herself out of the car. Her feet barely even touched the ground before she was practically tackled by the force of Daryl's embrace.

He let out a shuddering breath, holding onto her tightly. She could barely breathe, he was holding her so strongly, but she couldn't care less.

"Where the fuck have you been?" He asked, finally pulling himself away from her. His face was dark, shrouded in anger, but the fear she saw in his eyes outweighed any other emotion. "You didn't say shit about a run when I left, what the fuck Rhiannon?! You scared the shit outta me. I came back and you were gone and I had to hear from fucking Abraham that you-"

"Daryl! I'm fine, I promise." She interrupted what would have been a very long and very loud rant.

"Where the hell were you two?" Rick asked, finally joining the group in less of a haste than Daryl showed.

Rhiannon and Merle shared a look, silently trying to figure out how to spin this without giving away the real reason they'd left Alexandria. Instead, they chose to only focus on the important details.

"We found The Hunters." Merle told them simply.

Daryl looked down at Rhiannon with a look of horror. "You- what?! The hell you mean? You were close to those fuckers? Did they see you? Goddamnit Rhiannon, you could've-"

"Daryl!" This time it was Rick to stop his rant. "Let's hear 'em out first."

"They came into town. We hid, they didn't see us and they didn't know we followed them." Rhiannon explained, directing the last sentence to Daryl sternly.

"You followed them?" Rick asked, excitement and intrigue in his expression.

Rhiannon and Merle shared another look, this one much more somber than the last.

"You're not gonna like what we found."

The next few days were hectic. Runs were a constant. Everyone that could go out was spending all day scavenging for guns, ammo and every other weapon under the sun they could find.

Rhiannon and Merle's news about The Hunters and their multiple locations, one being particularly big, had everyone on edge and Rick was not taking a moment of rest.

Everyone was working their asses off, doing what they could to scavenge and to continue training at a back breaking pace.

Rhiannon was now getting used to leaving the house before the sun came up and not returning back to her bed until the sun rose again. People were scared and more than that, people were more determined than ever to fight.

They'd successfully built up their arsenal, but for Rick, it still wasn't enough and the runs continued daily.

One morning, only just a few hours after Rhiannon had flopped into bed, she felt a kiss on her forehead, stirring her out of her sleep.

She hummed, rolling onto her back, her bleary eyes opening with great effort.

"Go back to sleep. Was just sayin' bye." Daryl whispered. He kissed her again softly, revelling in one of the few moments of intimacy he'd been able to grab with her since this fiasco started. "I'll be back tonight."

"Mmkay." She mumbled, still half asleep.

She barely heard his chuckle and or felt his indulgence in another kiss that was pressed to her forehead. The sound of the door closing barely registered, until her tired brain caught up to the realization that it was in fact the next day.

It was Daryl's birthday.

Rhiannon's eyes snapped open and she shot up in bed, muttering out a string of curses, all traces of exhaustion gone. She scrambled out of her sheets and pulled her clothes on disastrously messily, calling out for Daryl as she did, hoping she'd catch him before he left..

She stomped down the stairs and peaked around the corner but, on noticing the kitchen and living room empty, her shoulders sagged in defeat. He had already left.

"Fuck." She mumbled.

Of course, the nice gesture she had planned would now be ruined by yet another crisis. It wasn't exactly unheard of for them, a couple who had to fight off an entire herd of walkers the day after they'd gotten married.

Rhiannon was left to stew the entire day. Thankfully, she wasn't going out on a run today and was left to handle taking inventory of the new weapons they'd been acquiring for the past few days.

It was only midday when she was stifling yet another yawn, shaking her head to rid herself of her fatigue and focus on the clipboard in her hands and get back to counting. She was handling the new rifles when Tara came storming over to her, leaning in closely.

"There's something weird going on." She whispered and Rhiannon looked at her questioningly, her worries immediately rising that it had something to do with The Hunters.

"What do you mean?"

"There's something weird going on with Abraham and Sasha." She explained.

"What?"

"They've been getting real close, there's this weird energy between them. I'm worried."

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." Rhiannon assured her. "It's the end of the world, you tend to get really close to the people around you, people that have saved your life. I'm sure there's nothing illicit going on."

"Illicit," Tara scoffed with a shake of her head. "You sound like a housewife."

Rhiannon gave her an unamused look and continued to file through the weapons in front of her.

"I'm serious. There's tension there."

"Like I said, they're probably just close, platonically. I'm close with you, doesn't mean I wanna fuck your brains out."

"Which is a bad decision on your part, thank you very much."

Rhiannon laughed and nudged her lightly. "I think you're reading too much into this."

"Ok, well don't get too annoyed when I say 'I told you so' when things become illicit."

She shook her head and as Tara walked away, she found her eyes rising from her notes to watch Sasha across the room, noting the easy smile on her face. She'd been in a rough spot for a long time after losing Bob and Tyreese. Rhiannon hadn't seen her friend look easygoing in a long time, except when she was with Abraham. She hoped it was only a friendship, she didn't want Rosita getting her heart broken.

Guess only time will tell if Tara's right.

The hours dragged on slowly until finally the sun was beginning to set. Rhiannon was sitting alone in their home, waiting anxiously for Daryl to return. The record player sat in their living room with the records she'd gotten him laid out presentably.

She didn't even know if Daryl would make it home for the night or if she'd have to be waiting up into the early hours of the morning. She hoped more than anything that she could spend at least what was left of his birthday with him.

They hadn't gotten many opportunities to celebrate his special day. It took a while for him to even tell her when it was and she got the feeling he caved only because he'd become so annoyed with her constant pestering to know.

The very first birthday she'd ever celebrated with him, they'd been out on the road, surviving on scraps, which hadn't allowed for much of a celebration. Her gift to him was sex, which he said was more than enough, but she hadn't exactly felt like a good girlfriend for it.

But she was his wife now. They were trying to start a family, they finally had a stable home and dammit, she was going to make his birthday special.

She wasn't left to anxiously think on her worries long when the front door opened. She sprung up to her feet and raced to the door, making Daryl look at her in surprise at her excitement he certainly hadn't been expecting.

"Hey, what are you doin'?" He smiled, leaning down to kiss her in greeting.

"I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" He asked incredulously. "For what?"

"You're kidding right?" Rhiannon drawled in disappointment at Daryl's complete unassuming expression. She rolled her eyes and scoffed in amusement. "Daryl it's your birthday today."

"Huh, yeah, guess it is." He shrugged and moved to step into the living room, but she stopped him, her hands on his chest trying her best to keep him out. He looked down at her in confusion before his face fell, dread overtaking him.

He knew whatever her surprise was, had to do with his birthday. He wasn't generally one to celebrate his birthday, never had been, and the prospect of a surprise wasn't exactly desirable.

"Darlin', c'mon, you know you ain't gotta get me anythin'. I'd be happy takin' your ass upstairs and lettin' you have your way with me."

"That's what I got you last year."

"Well I sure as hell wasn't complainin' 'bout it. It's a perfect gift."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes again and grabbed his hands. "Look, I already went out and got you a gift so you're just gonna have to deal with it. Now close your eyes."

"Seriously?" He asked with unamusement.

"Yes, do it."

Daryl sighed deeply and closed his eyes, allowing her to guide him into the living room. There was a small smirk on his face, knowing how excited his indulgence made her happy.

"Ok and…. open."

With a slight huff, he opened his eyes, ready to tease his wife for her efforts, but when he saw the gift she'd given him, the thoughtfulness she'd put into it that made his heart soar, he couldn't fake his reaction.

A genuine grin grew, his eyes soft with a love that was reserved only for her. He stepped forward, slowly flipping through the stack of records that lay before him. He choked up slightly when he saw his favorite music, only solidifying that she knew him better than anyone had, that she cared about him and loved him more than any one in his life ever had.

"Rhi… I- this is-" He stammered, feeling the lump in his throat growing. "This is amazing."

"You like it?" She asked, a nervous eagerness emanating as she bit her lip and shifted on her feet anxiously.

"You serious? This is…" He paused, taking in a deep breath to compose himself and quell his growing emotions at her thoughtful gesture. "This is the best gift I've ever gotten in my entire life."

Rhiannon smiled, her stomach erupting into a million little butterflies at his words. She watched with happiness as he eagerly put a record on, handling the vinyl with a care that made her love him even more.

As the sound of a soft guitar riff filled the room, he turned back to her, his cheeks blooming pink with a blush. He held his hand out to her, which she looked at with wide, disbelieving eyes. She took his hand slowly and let him guide her into his body, his other hand finding her waist while hers found his shoulder.

They began to sway to the music slowly, their feet barely moving. Rhiannon knew Daryl was still incredibly uncomfortable with the prospect of dancing, even with her, so she was fully content to take what she got.

As far as she was concerned, this was the best gift she could've gotten.

They danced slowly in their living room, living out every domestic fantasy she could ever have dreamed of as a little girl. To her, this was what love looked like. And she was more than happy that it was Daryl with her in this moment.

"So, did I nail it?"

Daryl snorted and leaned his head down against her shoulder so she could feel his grin against her skin.

"Yeah, you nailed it. You always do."

"It was worth it. Every risk it took, I'd do it all again for you." She whispered truthfully. She felt his body tense slightly and he pulled away to look down at her, his face twisted with horrific realization.

"Hold on, when you were out with Merle the other day, when you ran into The Hunters, this is what you were doin'?" He asked, his voice low and stern with fear.

Rhiannon's lips parted, but she was unable to think of any words to say back. She knew he wouldn't take the news well and she hadn't exactly planned on telling him, but it had just slipped out.

"Uhhh, yes?"

"Rhiannon." He groaned, his head falling back to his shoulders in exasperation. "The fuck were you thinkin'? You could've gotten hurt, those assholes could've seen you and for what? I ain't worth-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Daryl Dixon." She warned. "You are worth everything. And, do I have to remind you again that I'm fine? We got our information, we came back alive and you got your gift. That's all that matters."

Daryl huffed, still not happy about the news. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pecking his lips softly, which effectively made him melt into her embrace, the tensity leaving his shoulders.

"Still mad." He muttered.

No matter what she told him, no matter how it turned out, the thought of her in danger was a dealbreaker. But he knew by the mischievous smirk on her face he wouldn't be mad for long.

"Would it help if I told you that I was ovulating?"

He startled slightly, looking down at her in surprise, before his smirk mirrored hers.

"What the hell are we still doin' down here?" He mumbled before crashing his lips to hers in a fiery kiss.

Rhiannon let out a happy noise of surprise, smiling through his kiss and tightening her grip on him. It was easy to forget the outside world when they were trying to build their family. It was almost impossible to think about the horrors outside their gates when he held her like he was.

Daryl didn't get to bask in the glory of his birthday long. Though the night he'd had with his wife, the love and care he felt from her would last him a lifetime. Rhiannon was out on yet another run to scout for more weapons and he was leading Denise and Rosita on a run for medical supplies.

He didn't agree with Denise coming, she didn't have any clue what it was like out beyond the walls, but he was outnumbered in his disagreement so he was forced to look out for her.

Looking down at the list he'd gotten from Denise, there were many items he didn't recognize, ones he didn't even recognize as being medical. He approached her, flagging her down with a wave of his hand. She smiled at him nervously, still awkwardly shy around him even after all the time he's spent in her company.

"The hell is this for?" He asked and Denise looked over his shoulder at what he was pointing at.

"Oh, it's for Rhiannon. In case we can't find any more pain killers for her, I thought we could get some natural stuff. She was telling me about all this stuff like maca root or even rose oil that could help with her ovary pain."

Daryl paused, his mind running a mile a minute as his brain tried to work out just what she was saying.

"She's in pain?" He asked, his voice gruff with a simmering anger.

Denise's eyes widened as she realized her mistake and she shifted on her feet nervously. "She didn't tell you?" She asked weakly.

"When did she talk to you?" He asked sternly, ignoring her question.

"This morning before she left."

Daryl's eyes closed as he tried hard to keep his composure and not explode in anger. Rhiannon had a habit of hiding her struggles, even with him, something that drove him absolutely crazy. He was angry at her, he was empathetic - the thought of her in that kind of pain again shattered his heart - and he was terrified at the thought of her beyond those gates when she wasn't at her strongest.

"Fuck." He muttered through gritted teeth. "C'mon, let's go." He said gruffly to Denise and she followed him to the car with a nervous smile, silently berating herself for letting this slip.

She remembered Rhiannon's words, don't tell anyone about this, and she was mentally kicking herself. She had just assumed Daryl knew, with him being her husband.

She wasn't looking forward to tonight when they reunited. She made a mental note to stay far away from the Dixon house tonight.

"What's up with you?" Rick asked, his calculating gaze locked on her intently. She was walking significantly slower than usual and her face was pale. He knew something was wrong.

"Nothing, I'm just tired." Rhiannon waved him off, trying hard to smile through the pain. But she knew she was failing miserably.

She'd woken that morning with intense pain in her abdomen and when she went to the bathroom and confirmed it wasn't her period, she knew what was happening. Her endometriosis was a bitch, she'd known that for a while, but going through this now, of all possible times, she got the feeling her body had a personal vendetta against her.

"Rhiannon, what's really going on? Did something happen?" Rick asked, his voice low with concern. His first thought was that Alex had done something. Her ex had already hurt her once and his blood was boiling at the thought that it had happened again.

"Nothing happened. I'm fine."

Rick narrowed his eyes at her, letting her know he didn't believe her in the slightest. "You know, you're not as good a liar as you think."

Rhiannon sighed heavily and rolled her head back in exasperation. She spared a quick look forward, making sure the others in the group were far enough ahead that they couldn't eavesdrop.

"I'm experiencing just a little, tiny bit of pain." She explained, using the most downplayed words she could think of so she didn't freak him out.

"Pain?" He asked, his face equal parts confusion and concern.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and gestured vaguely to her abdomen. Rick's eyes widened in realization and he stopped her abruptly, his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Wait, you mean… like that winter when you…?"

Rhiannon nodded, finding it somewhat amusing how female issues never failed to astonish even the strongest of men.

"Shit, when… holy shit, Rhiannon, why the hell are you out here?" He asked frantically, his protective papa bear mode now fully activated.

"I was scheduled to go on the run." She stated simply with a shrug.

Rick sighed and looked down at her with unamusement. "You could've told me what was going on. The rest of us could've handled it just fine."

"Well, I wanted to come."

"I'm guessing Daryl doesn't know." He stated plainly. He knew there was no way Rhiannon would be even five feet from her bed, let alone out on a run, if Daryl was aware of what she was going through.

"No." She answered quietly, shame pouring out of that one simple word. Rick sighed loudly and her shoulders slumped. "It's not like I wanted to keep it from him, I just knew he would freak out. He gets a thousand times more protective when this happens."

"Well, for good reason, Rhi. You're in pain, you shouldn't be out here."

"I couldn't just sit at home all day."

"So you thought risking your life on a run when you're not at your strongest was the better option?" He said sarcastically, his own anger permeating out of his tone.

"I couldn't sit there alone with yet another reminder about why I can't get pregnant." She yelled frantically, bowing her head and sniffling slightly as embarrassment quickly washed over her for her outburst.

She hadn't meant to share so much, but it had been months of disappointment and the words just came pouring out of her.

Rick's face fell, his shoulders slumping as all anger left him instantly. He quickly pulled her in for a hug, holding her tightly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered bashfully, but he just shook his head.

"You don't have to apologize. I know this has been hard on you." He told her softly, his hand holding the back of her head, making her bottom lip quiver. The gesture reminded her so much of her father.

She breathed deeply, forcing herself to move past the thought. She didn't need that sadness piled on top of everything else going on.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but, are you sure you're up for the run? There's no shame in you taking a step down when you need to." Rick asked her carefully. He knew how annoying their protectiveness could get and he wanted to make sure she wouldn't feel like he was trying to coddle her.

"I can do it."

She was thankful that he was breezing by the pregnancy talk. She got the feeling he didn't really know what to say to her and the problem she was having. And it wasn't exactly something she wanted to divulge in now anyways.

"If you need to slow down, you tell me, ok?"

"I will."

He nodded and smiled down at her, keeping his arm over her shoulder as they continued to walk, catching up to the rest of the group.

"I'll try my best to mediate with Daryl when we get back." He told her and her small smile fell at the mention of her husband. She didn't want to burden him with her struggles, not just about her pain, but about her inability to get pregnant.

Not when he had so much hope. Not when he had the weight of the world on his shoulders about The Hunters.

"Can you slow down?" Rosita called out to him, annoyance laced in her tone. She shared a look with Denise who was still looking incredibly sheepish around the hunter.

Daryl didn't answer and continued with his rapid stomping down the train tracks. The run for medical supplies had gone off without a hitch, Denise had even gotten her first walker kill, something that, in other circumstances, he would be praising her for.

But his mind and his judgement were clouded. His thoughts were solely on Rhiannon. He was worried for her, hoping she was ok, that her run was going ok. But above all, he was angry. He was trying hard not to be, he knew she always had troubling talking about her struggles, but they were married and he couldn't help the frustration he felt.

"Daryl, c'mon, you gotta relax." Rosita spoke up again. "We have bigger problems going on right now."

Daryl finally stopped, his jaw clenched tightly and he slowly turned to face the two women behind him.

"You really think my wife bein' out there in pain, where she could run into those assholes, isn't a big problem?"

Rosita sighed in defeat and shook her head. "You know I didn't mean it like that. I get you're angry but we're still out here, our job isn't done until we're safe behind those gates so I need you to keep your focus."

Daryl chewed on his lip anxiously, regret washing over him. He was supposed to be looking out for Denise, not stewing like a moody teenager. And the entire reason Denise had been out there was to get supplies for the community, for Rhiannon.

His features softened and he flashed them a look of apology.

"You did good back there." He said to Denise, his tone softer and slightly embarrassed. "And thanks… for gettin' her all that stuff."

"Of course." She replied shyly, giving him an awkward shrug of her shoulders, like she wasn't completely elated with her success on the run.

Before they could continue making their way back to Alexandria, they heard sounds of whooping and cheering in the near distance. They shared looks of shock before they all collectively raced forward, Daryl letting Rosita and Denise pass him as he raised his bow to cover their backs.

They ran into the cover of trees off the train tracks and stopped, taking cover behind the thicket of bushes, not wanting to make too much noise to lead whoever was coming their way. They had a pretty good idea of who it was that made them all sick to their stomachs.

Daryl tensed, his grip on his bow tightening as they saw a man sluggishly stumble onto the train tracks, his head turning behind him every few seconds. He was panting hard, clearly exhausted and he had an arrow stuck out the back of his shoulder.

They knew instantly their hunches were correct. The Hunters were playing their game with this poor man.

Daryl and Rosita shared a look, contemplating their next move carefully. Beside them, Denise was shaking in her spot, trying hard not to burst into tears at what she was about to face, something miles above her pay grade.

An arrow flew from the other side of the tracks and hit the man in the stomach. He cried out and collapsed to his knees, the life draining from him quickly.

Daryl felt his entire body go rigid as three men came walking casually out of the forest towards the dying man. He felt disgusted as he watched the men gleefully smile down at their latest kill.

"Let's get him back to the truck, we'll put him up with the others."

Their stomachs turned simultaneously at the Hunter's words. Daryl turned to Rosita again and motioned with his head to her gun.

She looked at him questioningly, silently asking him if he was sure of his decision.

He nodded. Nothing would change his mind. These people were sick and, although it might ignite the spark of war they were waiting on, he didn't care. They needed to be put down.

In the span of seconds, Daryl stood from his spot and fired a bolt straight through the eye of one of the Hunters. At the same instant, Rosita fired off a shot to the second man and as the third man flinched in fright and raised his weapon, Rosita shot a second time, taking him down swiftly.

It was only three men, but it was satisfying knowing what they were capable of. The Hunters had many men and this dent, no matter how small, was a good start.

Daryl, Rosita and a trembling Denise stepped out onto the tracks again, their eyes locked onto the dead men in front of them.

"You know what we started, right?" Rosita asked grimly.

"Nothin' we weren't already gonna start."

"They're gonna know these people are missing. They're gonna come looking for who did it."

"We'll be ready for 'em."

Rhiannon had made it back to Alexandria safe and sound and with a new rifle over her shoulder. The fairground had turned out to be a worthwhile run and they were able to add to their plentiful arsenal.

She lay sprawled on the couch in Rick's house where most of the family was gathered as they waited for Daryl, Rosita and Denise to return from their run. Rhiannon wasn't so eager to see Daryl, knowing the anger she'd be facing, but she couldn't wait to get those supplements Denise was finding for her pain.

"Here, this might help." Carol broke her out of her thoughts as she handed her a steaming cup of tea.

"Thank you." Rhiannon said tiredly and winced as she sat up to take a sip.

"Is it any better than it was this morning?"

"Nope." She answered simply, bitterness seeped in her tone. Carol frowned and placed her hand on her shoulder comfortingly, feeling useless that there wasn't anything she could do for her.

"So, Daryl still doesn't know?"

"I'm sure he does by now. I didn't really have much faith that Denise wouldn't spill."

"Yeah, she's not a good secret keeper." Carol agreed with a small laugh. "He's gonna be pissed when he gets back."

"People keep telling me that like I don't already know." Rhiannon rolled her eyes, but when she saw the surprised look on Carol's face by her harsh tone, she sighed deeply. "Sorry, I just… I feel bad. I didn't want to lie to him, I was gonna tell him as soon as the run was over. I didn't know he'd be the one going with Denise for the stuff I needed."

"I get it. I love that man like a brother but he can be a pain in the ass when it comes to protecting the ones he loves."

"God, I sound like such a bitch. I'm lying to my husband because he loves me so much and wants to protect me." Rhiannon groaned.

"You're not a bitch. Anyone would get annoyed with being told to stay back, especially with what's going on." Carol assured her. "Honestly, Rhiannon, I don't blame you for not saying anything. And I'm sure, once he calms down and sees that you're ok, he'll understand too."

Carl came and sat next to her on the couch, handing her a glass of water so she could take another pain killer. She sent him a loving smile in thanks, eagerly taking the pill.

"If he gets mean, I can beat him up for you." The teenager offered and Rhiannon snorted, shaking her head.

"Relax, Killer, it'll be fine."

All too soon, the front door opened and Daryl and Rosita came in, their expressions dark. Rhiannon perked up slightly to make sure they were ok but quickly, she sunk back in the couch as Daryl's eyes met hers and he gave her a knowing look, one that said 'you have a lot to explain'.

"You got somethin' you wanna tell me?" He asked, sarcasm laced in his tone bitterly.

"I'm sorry." Rhiannon said softly, trying to hold back a wince as Carol helped her sit up. Daryl's face softened when he noticed the pain in her expression and his chest ached knowing this was what she'd been going through all day.

"What's goin' on?" Merle asked from across the room where he was lounging on the opposite couch. He could sense the tension between the couple, particularly the awkward shame coming from Rhiannon.

The husband and wife just stayed silent, Daryl in anger and Rhiannon in an effort to delay the inevitable confrontation. Carl rolled his eyes at them and decided he would step up and explain if they weren't going to.

"Rhiannon has endo… meteor something and Daryl's pissed."

Daryl rolled his eyes in exasperation while Merle sat even more confused than before. Rhiannon laughed softly and looked at Carl gratefully for his effort.

"Ok, first of all, that was adorable." She told the teenager before turning her attention to Merle. "And second, I have endometriosis which sometimes puts me in extreme pain. I didn't tell Daryl about it before I left for the run today and he's gonna yell at me."

"Ain't gonna yell." Daryl said and she turned to him with a raised brow. He sighed and bowed his head, of course she would call his bluff. He didn't want to yell at her, but he had a hard time not leaning on his default defense, which was yelling when he was mad.

"Your lover's quarrel can wait, we have news." Rosita chimed in, giving Daryl a warning look.

Rhiannon furrowed her brows and looked to Daryl worriedly, her stomach churning as she saw his expression change to one of unsettled anticipation.

"What's goin' on?" Rick asked, his tone stern as he came into the room and took a seat.

"We saw three of those bastards out on our run. They killed some guy, someone they were huntin'." Daryl explained, surveying the carrying looks of shock and fear on those around him.

"We killed them." Rosita added, a small satisfied smirk on her face.

Rick sat up straighter, his eyes flitting between Daryl and Rosita contemplatively.

"We know we just started somethin', but it's three'a those assholes down. We're ready for the rest." Daryl said, his voice gruff with determination.

"They're gonna start a hunt for us, they'll want revenge." Michonne spoke up, her expression unreadable as she looked to Rick who was eerily silent.

"We'll be a step ahead of them." Daryl interjected. "We know two of their hideouts. We'll sweep 'em clean, whittle their numbers down 'til they can't fight no more."

"That doesn't leave us much time to prepare."

"We built up our arsenal enough. Everyone has a gun and we have more than enough ammo for an ambush." Rosita clarified.

"We can go to Hilltop, tell Jesus and get as many fighters as they can spare. We can finally bring the fight to them, finally use our advantage." Carol added, her expression turning stony as she thought of the incoming bloodshed.

Everyone nodded in agreement as the plan came together, seemingly in their favour. There were a lot of moving pieces, but they were all their pieces. They had the upper hand.

"Rick, what do you think?" Michonne asked the leader that had yet to interject. Despite their collective strength and the democracy they had created at Alexandria, they still looked to Rick as their leader.

They valued his opinion and they needed his approval for this to work.

Rick sat forward, his hands clasped together tightly. He spared a look at his son, knowing what happened in the coming days would be for him, for Judith, for his entire family. His expression was dark, but the determination in his eyes was unmistakable.

"We're goin' to war."

Hope you like my new material so far and I hope you're excited for what's next because …. oh man…. the next chapter…. I hope you're ready